Turkey has announced the suspension of all trade agreements with Israel, halting both export and import activities. The decision stems from Israel’s actions towards Palestine, which Turkey deems as violations of international law and human rights.
According to the Turkish Trade Ministry, the suspension of trade exchanges with Israel is in response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. “Export and import transactions related to Israel have been stopped for all products,” stated the ministry in a released statement.
Turkey intends to rigorously enforce these measures until the Israeli government allows a continuous and adequate flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The announcement came after Israel’s foreign minister accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of breaching agreements by obstructing ports from handling Israeli imports and exports. In response, Israel aims to explore alternatives for trade with Turkey, focusing on local production and imports from other countries.
Last month, Turkey imposed trade restrictions on Israel, citing Israel’s refusal to permit Ankara’s involvement in aid airdrops to Gaza and its military operations in the enclave.
The Turkish Ministry emphasized the significant toll of Israel’s actions, stating that nearly 35,000 Palestinian civilians, including 15,000 children, have lost their lives, and around 78,000 Palestinian citizens have been injured due to Israel’s assaults on Palestine, which are considered breaches of international law and human rights.
In 2023, the trade volume between Turkey and Israel amounted to $6.8 billion.
